Let Her Go, Let It Go
by Survivor at midnight
Summary: Everything you love surely dies, so let it go. - Songfic. Song used is Let It Go/Let Her Go Mashup by Sam Tsui. Dedicated to everyone I've ever met, loved, lost, touched, changed. I do not own Jack, Elsa, their respective movies, or the song used.
1. Jack

**Update: April 14th, 2016**

So this is another story that I happened to find when cleaning out my flashdrives. Yes, it it a Jelsa fic. I happen to love this pairing. It's just magical. But the beginning of this story is all angst, or as much angst as I could make it. It will get better. This particular fic will be switching between Jack and Elsa's POVs a lot. But it will be pretty obvious who is speaking.

That's all for the intro. Have fun reading this!

Disclaimer: Tôi không sở hữu hoặc đông lạnh Rise of the Guardians (Vietnemese) (For some reason, the title of the second movie didn't want to translate lol!)

* * *

 _Let it go, let it go_

 _You only need the light when it's burning low,_

 _"_ _Hey, who threw that?!"_

 _"_ _It wasn't me!"_

 _"_ _Me either!"_

 _"_ _I'm going to get you all for this!"_

Snowballs went flying through the air, round white birds in the ice blue sky. One child tumbled head over heels down a snowdrift and scrambled to his feet again, just in time for another girl to crash into him, sending them both to the floor. A gaggle of heads popped out over the bank of snow, laughing as more snowballs came hurling at the pair. So enraptured in their own games were the children, that they didn't notice the slicing cold gust of wind that swept the fine, loose snow and flung it to the skies to fall back down again like fairy dust.

A spirit, unseen to anyone else, scoffed at the thought. Fairy dust, indeed. He personally _knew_ a fairy, and _she_ certainly didn't freeze anyone's fingers and toes off, or got anyone sick. Heavens knew that she was as warm as the summer sun. The spirit watched the children run around joyously, blissfully ignorant of his presence and of the true nature of the world as a whole.

It was _hard_ , keeping the air of fun alive in this world where precious few could see him, especially when his own world was being torn apart at the seams. Sparing one last glance at the children who were squealing and shrieking in delight, he heaved a heavy sigh and turned away, leaping into the air. The winds whipped up around him, steady and true under his form, carrying him aloft and away from the group of children down below.

Really, he was lucky he only needed to topple one of the dominos in the line, and the rest would follow. It made his job just _so_ much easier. He didn't have to apply himself as much as the Easter Bunny or the Jolly old Giant, or even the Tooth Fairy. One snowball was all it took now, and he was left to his own musings.

His feet alighted on the top of a cliff, a few hundred feet above the top of a forest that spread out as far as his eyes could see. He stared at the ruddy red sun that was disappearing behind the horizon, lost in his thoughts.

He was a Guardian. The Guardian of Fun, of all things. He, more than anyone, should be taking more joy in his work than he really was. He worked all the time, yes, but his work was to have fun. He hadn't lost his identity after becoming a Guardian. He brought happiness to all the children of the world, and their smiles should have brought on to his face as well.

So why on earth did he feel so…dead inside?

He leaned on his cane, weary as an old man, though he hadn't aged a day since he had 'died'. So this is what those teens meant when they said that they felt 'old before their time'. They stopped believing, and the real world caught up with them, and they realized that nothing was all smiles and games and happiness. This world was full of dark just as much as light, for how could you have one without the other? To see light, there must be darkness for it to shine through. Yet wherever there is light, there will always be shadows. Play time became work time; leisure became stress; friends became strangers; games that all enjoyed became competitions where all were competitors, enemies. Where there was once joy, there was now hardship. Where there was once health and vitality, there is sickness and death.

How does one deal with an ailing loved one, when said loved one didn't even know you existed?

He called for the winds, and let them blow him wherever they pleased for the longest of times, a heavy and dank feeling of melancholy settling over him like a heavy wet blanket, weighing him down and chilling him to the bone with a cold that not even he could ignore. How long would this go on, he wondered? His sister was the last person to be relegated to the four walls of her room. She was as much of a free spirit as he was. She _lived_ for adventure. And now she was confined to her bed. How many hours had he spent watching her struggle to do the simplest of things while wincing in pain? How many nights had he watched as she stared out the tiny window of her room, watching time pass by without her? How many days had he watched her write in her little leather-bound diary, wishing to go outside at least _once_? This, this was no life for her. This was no life _at all._ Yet, was it bad to wish his little sister an endless sleep, devoid of the pain she was in now, or hope and pray she live to see another beautiful day? Which was worse? Was it right to wish either for her? Who was to know?

Tooth Fairy had said that they were all somebody before they became Guardians. He had never thought about what would happen to his old life after that fact.

And then he felt it. The melancholy became bone-crushing, heart-renting sorrow and remorse. The trees rambled and bowed, as if they too felt the immense sadness. The winds cried and screamed their own pain and regret. The sun hid its face in shame, or in sympathy, as if it couldn't bear to watch what was happening. He felt it, too. He felt the world change and shift around him, and suddenly he couldn't wait any longer. He would forgo his duty ( _how he wished he was free of it_ ) just this once. He was allowed this _one_ comfort, wasn't he? He would abandon his work and see his most precious person – if only for the last time.

Calling the winds once again and begging them to speed him to his destination, the youth prayed that Death had not yet passed by, just so that he could have one final look of her alive.

 _Just a little farther. Just a bit more._  
Jack Frost pulled up to an abrupt halt and stood outside the window pane to his sister's bedroom, leaning on his staff, trying to find something stable in his crumbling world.

In the small ramshackle room was precious little of anything. But everything that was there meant more to him than he ever thought possible. The old wooden chair was sitting next to the low bed, the rainbow comforter that his grandmother had made when he was just a boy. The small nightstand held a vase lamp, intricate designs carved into the porcelain by the skilled hands of an artisan. The sparse pictures on the walls. The chest of toys under the window. The tiny vanity besides the bedroom door. All of it achingly, painfully familiar. And on the bed was a young woman, long brown hair left loose around fail shoulders, and sunken hazel eyes wearily staring out the window, seemingly right at him. But that was impossible. She was certain that he had died years ago. She could not see him. A much older woman was hovering over her, her grey hairs reflecting the light as she tended to her ailing daughter. But the younger did not seem to acknowledge the presence of either being (because he refused to think about how he couldn't even speak to her and have her hear).

He had dreaded this day ever since he figured out he wasn't aging. It was horrible, this feeling of helplessness and loneliness. This… _state_ of being right next to her and still being worlds apart.

Jamie was dying.

And he couldn't do a thing to stop it, or even help her feel safe again.

He watched from the window, afraid to get closer, lest Jamie feel the cold he always brought around with him ( _oh, how he_ wished _he could touch her again_ ). Their old mother sat at Jamie's bedside, holding her thin, frail hand, and telling her everything would be alright. His mother looked so worn and drawn, as if she had lived through a thousand years of war and famine, and Jack couldn't help but wonder how she handled his own passing. He had left right after he had been brought back by the Moon, too caught up in his own revelry and _aliveness_ that he completely forgot about his family.

How could anyone _do_ something like that, fun-loving or not? How could one forsake his own _family_?

Sure, he checked up on them from time to time, but there were sometimes months or even _years_ when he wouldn't come back to see his little – or older now – sister and mother, until before he knew it, Jaime had a family of her own with a good man and a sweet little girl, and their mother was growing grey hairs. It was as if time was stuck on fast forward, and he was still moving at normal speed.

And now she was going to die.

 _She was going to die._

The reality struck Jack yet again, harder than it ever had before. It became a hot knife plunged deep into his chest and twisted violently, stealing his breath and slowly, _ever so slowly_ , killing him as well.

Stumbling back from the now iced over window, Jack fell and scrabbled back, tripping over his staff in his haste to get up and almost falling again. He had to get out of here, now, or else this would break him into tiny pieces, pieces so small that he doubted he would ever find them all. He shouldn't have come. He turned quickly on his heel and ran. Raced through the trees, crashing through them like a bull gone mad, taking small tight turns, freezing any water in his way completely in the cool November air, anything to get away. If he stayed…

Jack burst out of the forest and into a clearing, a still pond with some late-blooming lilies on them, and the Moon reflected perfectly on the still waters. Chest heaving, he walked over to the bank and dropped unceremoniously to his knees, head bowed, straining to keep himself from crying.

"Why? Why _me_?"

* * *

So the end of chapter one. Yes, Jack's little sister has died. The inspiration for this story actually comes from one of my little cousins that died young, younger than I am. I dedicate this particular chapter to her, because she is missed.

I guess I'm done for now. Later everyone, and stay safe.


	2. Elsa

**Update: April 14th, 2016**

So this is chapter 2. My friend is annoying me while I write this, so forgive me if my announcements sound like I'm not all here. I'm like half here, and the other half of me is trying to get back my bookbag.

And he has gone back to class.

Anyway, this is chapter 2. Elsa's POV is a little easier for me to write, female connection and all. And for some reason, this one came out longer than my first chapter. All of the _(italicized parenthetical statements)_ that are littered with hyphens are Elsa's thoughts. The small part where there are no hyphens are meant to show how her thoughts just kept running away from her.

Anyway. Disclaimer:i ne posedas frostigita aŭ pligrandiĝo de la gardistoj (Esperanto) (This time both titles translated lol  
)

* * *

 _Let it go, let it go_

 _You only miss the sun when it starts to snow._

 _"_ _Do you want to build a snowman?"_

A happy laugh.

 _"_ _Do you want to build a snowman?"_

A sigh of resignation.

 _"_ _Do you want to build a snowman?"_

A shuddering sob.

The blonde woman, hair pulled back in a tight, neat orderly bun, tucked her knees closer to her slim frame and tried to find the comfort that she had lived without for so long. But it just wasn't the same. Hugging herself did nothing to ease the soul-rending sorrow burrowed deep in her chest.

She cursed the gods that cursed her with her life. First an accident ( _she–was–only–playing–around–she-didn't–mean-for–this–to-happen_ ), then a whole childhood ( _no–more–late–night–playing–with–your–sister–no–no–no–you–can't_ ), then her parents ( _mama-papa–why–why–why–did–you–have–to–go–why–did-you–leave–us?_ ). How much more could the gods take away from her? She had nothing left to give.

She rested her head back on the white door ( _white–white–white–like–the–good–girl–you–always–have–to-be)_ and shut her eyes tight. _'_ _Oh, sister, my dear little sister, I am so so so sorry,'_ she thought out to the form on the other side of her door, hoping, _praying,_ that the other girl – no, young woman now _(how-had-so-many-years-passed-without-you-in-them-dear-sister?)_ – would be able to feel her unvoiced thoughts. Even now she could feel her warmth, her heat, her very _aliveness_ , she could feel it slipping. Her little sister was sliding into despair, just as she was. Holding her gloved hands in front of herself, hands shaking like a fail leaf in a tumultuous winter wind, she nearly got up and opened her door to let the last of her family in, if only so that they could mourn their losses together ( _I–never–never-never-wanted–to–shove–you–out–of–my–life_ ). She made to stand, was halfway off of the ground, and her eyes looked up to see the sight of her room absolutely _swathed_ in crystalline ice. She met her own cerulean eyes in the full-length vanity mirror and saw an absolutely _terrified_ woman frozen her in place. Small snowflakes hung suspended in the air, making it shimmer like stardust in the faint storm-cloud-at-dusk light. Her once dark midnight blue canopy bed and sheets and rug were now an icy, cold light blue. Icicles dangled from the rafters, her dresser, her mirror, _anywhere_ they possibly could. Frost coated the large bay windows, turning them into blue-silver-white stained glass.

How could she let her sister see her like this?

(Y _ou–are–a–danger–to–everyone–learn–to–control–it–be–the-good–girl–you–always–have–to–be_ )

She couldn't let her. She could get hurt.

Oh, how badly she wanted to go back to the time when there were no secrets ( _don't–let–them–see-don't–let–them-know_ ), where she could play with Anna again. When they could all eat dinner together in the dining hall. When her mother and father would look on them both with love, not in fear or even ignoring them altogether. When she could say 'yes, Anna, I would love to build a snowman with you!' and they could and play and everyone would be happy. She wouldn't have to hide her powers anymore.

Elsa, orphan and now heir of the kingdom of Arendelle, wanted to scream her lungs out at whatever sadistic deity was laughing at her Greek tragedy of a life.

( _Conceal–don't–feel–don't–let–them–know_ )

She closed her eyes, cutting off the horrific vision of the state of her room, and instead hugged her knees closer to her body, ducking her head and hiding them in her arms. A gasping sob worked its way from her throat, and a small diamond tear slipped from her eye, shattering on the hardwood floor underneath her. Sorrow, cold and dark and heavy, pressed down on her, swirling around her form like a black fog.

 _Knock knock._ "Princess Elsa," a soft voice started, "the funeral is about to begin. Will you be joining?"

"….I"

 _(Mama-and-papa-why-did-you-have-to-go-we-need-you-I-need-you-I-can't-do-this-all-by-myself)_

Clenched hands.

"….I"

 _(Don't-let-them-in-don't-let-them-see-be-the-good-girl-you-always-have-to-be-conceal-don't-feel-put-on-a-show-don't-let-them-know-don't-let-them-know-don'tletthemknowdon'tletthemknowdon't…)_

Deep breath.

"….No, I will not."

There. She could feel Anna on the other side of her door. Her sadness. Her sorrow. Her disappointment.

"Elsa…?"

Some rustling. The doorknob started turning.

"No, Anna, I….I just can't. Please, please, just…..be there for me…"

A sniffle. "Okay, Elsa."

Elsa could hear their footsteps retreating down the hallway, a slow processional of mourning. When she was sure that all were out of earshot and out of the castle, she cried freely, wails and screams ripping themselves from her throat and bouncing off the walls. The ice coating her room became thicker, the snowflakes more defined and bigger, the icicles longer and thicker. She swept her arm across her dresser, tossed everything off of her vanity, scattered everything all over the floor. She ripped the draperies from the windows and threw them across the room. Everything she saw she fell on as if it were an enemy. Ice had covered the floor by now, in sharp dagger-fractals that crawled up the walls with every enraged scream. Everything she threw gathered a coating of ice of its own that shattered upon impact with the walls or floor or ceiling. The icicles became too heavy to support their own weight, and they too fell to the floor and shattered, huge chunks flying in all directions. Stalagmites of crystalline ice had burst up from the ground. Good. Something else could shatter now, along with her heart. Only when she had completely spent her energy did she collapse on the floor and compose herself. At some point her gloves had left her hands, whether she threw them away somewhere, or they got caught on something, she didn't know, but in her hurt and anger her powers had spiked. Jagged ice sculptures erupted from the ground and loomed over her. Icy claws reached down from the ceiling, ready to grab anything and crush it. Crush _her_.

 _(Conceal–don't–feel–don't–let–them–know)_

Elsa stared around her destroyed room in despair. Closing her eyes, she willed it all away, the ice, the snow, and the powers she had _never wanted_. But when she opened her eyes again, it was all still there, and she sobbed again. Cerulean orbs closed once again and wished harder for it all to just disappear, to leave, to just _go away damnit all_! And slowly, as if they didn't want to go, the figures and ice and snow and frost all receded and faded into nothing. Elsa sighed and carefully opened the drawer with all of her gloves and took out a new, clean pair and slipped them on ( _conceal–don't–feel–don't–let–them–know_ ). She started to clean her room – she couldn't have the maids thinking that she was having a mental breakdown, loss of her closest people or not. Her mirror stood upright again. Her clothes were carefully folded and put back in their drawers. The draperies were replaced and retied. Her makeup was picked up and carefully placed back on the vanity. Lotions and creams were arranged on the dresser. A comb and a brush, and as many of the scattered hair clips and pins and ties that she could find, all went back in their little jewelry box. By the time she finished, it was already early morning. Light streamed in from the huge bay window, a bright and cheery orange-yellow that promised a bright new day.

What a load of utter bullshit.

 _Knock knock._ "Princess Elsa. It's time for breakfast."

Elsa slowly, carefully walked to the door and cracked it open _just_ an inch. "Have it brought here, please," she asked the stewardess quietly. "And…if there is anything…that needs to be taken care of, let it be brought here as well," she added as an afterthought. The woman outside nodded and turned away, leaving the shattered young woman to her own devices until breakfast.

( _Be–the-good–girl–you–always–have–to–be_ )

Elsa closed the door quickly and collapsed on the floor again. How could she do this on her own?

" _How?_ "

* * *

Yeah, now Elsa and Anna's parents have died. I promise, things will get better. This is just my own attempt to start an angst story. I fully intend to get these two together. Everyone will be happy in the end, I promise.

This chapter is dedicated to my grandparents - the three that have passed and the one that still endures. I never knew either of my grandfathers, and I only met my grandmother on my mother's side once. I'm still incredibly lucky and blessed to have my grandmother on my father's side still, and in all honestly, I'm happy it's her. She's been a rock for my family, and I love her.

My personal word of advice for whomever chooses to take it. Value your elder blood relations, even if you've never had an extremely close relationship with them. Honor them, pay them respect. They will all teach you something, even if you don't immediately know it. And they are the reason that you are here, same as your parents.

Until next time, love you all, and stay safe.


	3. Jack II

**Update: May 1, 2016**

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

*ahem*

Yes, it is my day of birth today. I have turned 18, and am on my way to college. What a life. Damn.

Anyway.

I finally found the inspiration for chapter three. At first it was just like 'where am I going with this?' because the thing was only around 400 words long. That's so far below my normal standards I nearly cried every time I looked at it. But finally, I got it together. This is where the main plot picks up, and we've moved beyond the dark doom-and-gloom of the first two chapters.

So I will let you read this, and I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Jeg eier ikke frosset eller De fem legendene (Norwegian)

* * *

 _And here I stand,_

 _And here I'll stay_

Cold.

But that was nothing new. It was always cold where he was. It was kind of part of the job description. But now that was all he knew. This was a cold unlike anything that he had ever experienced. It was far worse than the cold he always had trailing after him. This cold dove itself soul-deep, and it feel like this cold would never ever leave.

Cold.

Dark cold.

It took Jack forever and a day, but his eyes slowly opened, and he started at the soft brightness of the full moon in the winter sky, at the stars that were tiny white freckles across the black face of the night. Well, that solved the dark part, partially at least. But the bone-numbing cold persisted. And no wonder, seeing as how he was practically covered top to bottom in snow. Had he still been alive, still been human, he supposed he would have died by now.

But he wasn't human. Not anymore. The cold didn't bother him anyway.

In a heartbeat all the anguish Jack had been trying desperately to quell slammed back into him, flooding his senses and overriding his systems, pulling him back into that abyss that had held him captive for almost three days now. And that made him panic. It was so dark and cold and _lonely_ there, and he couldn't go back, no matter what he _wouldn't_ go back.

In a scramble of limbs and snow and staff he dragged himself to his feet and spun wildly around, eyes darting from place to place, not knowing what he was searching for but searching none the less. He needed…. He needed… _what did he need?_

A rush of wind came out of nowhere, sweeping the soft powdered snow off of its easy reclines on the ground and whipped it up into a dizzying frenzy. Faster and faster, more and more, turning the little flurry into a terrible storm that very nearly knocked him back out. The blizzard obscured Jack's vision, trapping him in a blanket of white so thick it was like he was looking at a solid slab of polished marble in the night. It was all he could see, all he could hear, and that alone scared him all the more, adding to his panic.

Jack shut his eyes tight, willing it all to just stop, to just let him have his peace, to just do away with him already so that he could meet his sister on the other side. God, if only he hadn't taken Jamie out on the lake that day, if only he was a bit more careful, if only he had been quicker, if only he had died and _stayed dead_!

Emotion welled up inside of the pit of his stomach, colder than any deep freeze he could ever invoke, heavier than any dense block of ice, and he raised his voice to the heavens and _screamed,_ screamed for all he was worth, for all that he had lost, for his sister's passing, for his mother's abandonment, for his own loss of humanity, for everything that had ever plagued his family, he screamed and screamed until he could scream no more, and then he cried for everything all over again.

The winds, feeling his anger as their own, whipped themselves into an absolute tempest, a storm so foul that the trees bent and dropped their heavy loads of snow, and the lake was sandblasted smooth, and Jack himself was lifted off the ground and carried away. He knew not where he was going, knew not what he would do, knew not what would happen to him. But damn him to hell, he didn't care. He let the darkness overtake him with something akin to gladness in his heart.

When Jack was next conscious, the first thing that came to mind was how heavy everything was. His arms and legs felt as though they were strapped to a slab of marble that was sinking too fast to stop, and another slab of marble sat on his chest, making it much too hard to breathe. But this marble was _soft_ and _cold._

Jack forced his limbs to move, even just the smallest inch, and groaned when he realized what trapped him. Of course. It was cold and soft because it was snow.

Jack struggled to sit up, not because of the weight of the snow (he could flick the entire embankment he was trapped in off in a flash), but because he had no real interest in moving. He reached for his staff in the drift and grasped it, halfheartedly swinging the thing in a wide arc, making the snow fly away from him. Idly he watched the fluffy powdered ice spray into the air, admired how it glittered as it fell back down to rest on the just-as-sparkly ground.

Jack sighed and slowly looked around, letting his ice blue eyes take in the forest around him, not really finding any reason to stay here, but also not finding any reason to leave. There was nothing inside him to drive him forward anymore. There was nothing holding him back. He couldn't even say that he just _existed_ anymore, because he _didn't_ exist anymore. He was little more than an apparition or hallucination.

He spared a glance up at the moon and shook his head. That the moon dragged him back from death's door meant nothing now. If anything, it was little more than a cruel joke.

Taking himself to walking, Jack barely registered anything around him. The trees all crawled by in a white and brown blur, and the night past well into day. Still he walked, not caring where his feet took him and not concerned about who would see him (no one would, so no need to worry right?). Day turned to night turned to day again, and still Jack walked. Long past the point of feeling weary and long incapable of feeling pain, he just kept walking.

He was not at all sure why he was walking; maybe some part of him was hoping that he would find something to hold his interest out in the large world. But the much larger part of him reasoned that he had already seen much, if not all, of the world already. He's already seen families grow with new children and shrink with the death of the old, seen marriages and divorces, happiness and grief, from one end of the earth to another. He's seen everything already, and it made him wonder what his purpose on earth _was_.

Heavens knew when Jack finally tuned in to his surroundings again. He was standing atop a cliff, overlooking a small town on an inlet. Verdant green practically _swathed_ the mountains and the valley down below, the dense forest only clearing for the small town. He could just make out the glimmer of light in what looked to be a castle, could just barely make out the sounds of music from within. Sitting down, Jack fell content to watching what he could of the small ant colony of people below him, watching all the people move around, doing whatever it was they were doing. The full moon (that had followed him no matter _where_ he went) was perfectly reflected in the large fjord where countless ships sat at harbor, waiting for their passengers to return. Everything was still, save for the large party in the castle.

It was…peaceful. Happy, even though he could not feel the joy quite as fully as he should have.

A single flake fell into his lap, a large one, perfectly formed and flawlessly symmetrical. Jack peered at it just because he could and frowned. The design was an elegant and regal one, with multiple offshoots and many sharp angles, not at all like his own soft floral patterns. Jamie would have-

Jamie was gone.

Jack shook his head and fought off the flood of emotions that welled up in his heart again and took another look at the snowflake. The barest touch of his finger, and the coin-sized piece of ice was resting in his hand. The hexagonal pattern started off with something akin to a star, with more diamond plates growing out of it. The fractals were like sharp blades, rising to harsh points, and the very tips of the dendrites were crowned with more diamonds. He shifted his eyes to the hem of his vest and he examined his own designs. His own frost was just as delicate, no doubt, but it swooped and curled and tangled together like vines and leaves.

This was not something he made.

A movement on the fjord caught Jack's eye, and he lifted his head. There was a figure _running_ on the water. Blonde hair stood out sharply against the dark water, and a long cape fluttered behind what looked like a girl, if the long dress was any indication. Jack stood up and nearly jumped off the cliff to chase after the figure (maybe he was just seeing things, and what he thought was water was black marble), but paused to look back at the odd snowflake in the palm of his hand.

By some miracle, or maybe because he was the king of all things cold, the tiny thing had not melted yet. Jack furrowed his brow for a moment in concentration, eyes narrowed as he built a small crystal cage around the snowflake that he then attached to an ice chain. Slipping it around his neck, he looked up to find the girl and started back in surprise.

There was snow. _Everywhere._ The fjord was rapidly freezing over, more of the hexagonal fractals creeping over the water's surface like paint on a black canvas. Above his head, dark clouds had obscured the moon's glow, and even more of the jagged ice shards rained down from the heavens. The wind whipped up again, not at his bidding, reducing his visibility within seconds. Jack glared into the blizzard that had erupted out of nowhere and coasted down the side of the cliff, but almost at once had to use his own power of flight to maneuver because the winds would no longer obey him.

That thought scared him more than a bit as he free-fell for a second. Who else could control the winds? Who else could conjure snow storms a massive as this? Within minutes the town would be blanketed in snow, and the ice on the fjord would run a few yards deep.

Finally his feet touched the snow-covered ground of the valley, and he raced toward where he had seen the woman running. He could barely feel the difference between the solid ground and the ice of the fjord, yet _something_ was pulling him in this direction – whatever this direction was.

Just who _was_ this woman?

* * *

Yay! Another chapter!

And if you can't guess where Jack was or who he saw, shame on you!

But yes, Jack is on his way to meet our favorite Snow Queen. Now my question for you is this: Should I upload Elsa's chapter next, or another Jack? It really does't matter, because these next few chapters are all in the space of maybe ten hours, so it really doesn't matter if Jack goes next or Elsa. You won't be confused or anything. But anyway...

Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! *confetti and streamers everywhere while a marching band plays Happy Birthday to strobe lights*

*ahem*

Anywho... please like, share, follow, and review, and as always, be safe everyone!


	4. Elsa II

**Update:**

Yes, I am like so super late. My explanation for not updating since my birthday? I switched gears to finish up high school (finals, prom, graduation, college preparations, etc.) and then went on a _Lord of the Rings_ binge. Do I have any Legomance lovers in the house?

No? Just me?

Okay then.

But my reading the entire trilogy and then watching the uber-long movies took up quite a bit of time, and then of _course_ I had to explore the fanfiction for that. You can imagine exactly how much I have to read through.

The result being I lost my muses for any other stories I have running. Legolas and Aragorn and the cute little Hobbits kicked them all out and took up residence in my brain. The inspiration for this and another one of my fanfics, Partners, just recently came back, so here this is. Again, appologies for getting sidetracked.

Now, on to the story!

Disclaimer: زه د ساتونکو کنګل يا زياتوالی لري نه (no phonetic translation available in Google Translate for some reason...) (Pashto)

* * *

 _You only know you love her when you let her go, oh_

 _The cold never bothered me anyway._

 _"'_ _Cause for the first time in forever….nothing's in my way!"_

Elsa watched from the balcony as her sister frolicked through the town and the folk that inhabited it and the warm summer air. Dimly she thought that her sister should not be outside the palace walls without an escort a dozen strong at least. Actually, to hell with that, she shouldn't have left the palace in the first place. She should be safe, holding her head high in elegance, displaying her high birth with dignity and pride, elegance and grace; not swinging around a lamp-post on the edge of the bridge, a mere inch away from knocking over a crate of food or toppling over a couple minding their own day. She should have the life of a princess, one where she was the apple of every man's eye and the envy of every female's. She-

Was having more fun than Elsa had had in years.

How she _envied_ her sister.

But no, the queen was not allowed to show envy, especially when it was directed at the last of her bloodline. It was unbecoming of a queen and of a family member. The last thing she wanted was to give anyone a reason to question her control. So Elsa tamed those feelings down and locked them in an iron hold in the darkest recesses of her heart, in the blackest corners of her mind, and forbid them to come forth ever again.

If she was to rule a kingdom, she should first start by ruling herself.

And her powers.

Elsa resigned herself to watching her sister live her life in what happiness she could have and composing herself to her role. Turning, she went down to the coronation hall.

"Elsa, wait, please, I can't live like this anymore!"

 _(She's–begging)_

"Then leave."

 _(She–shouldn't–have–to–beg–she–shouldn't–have–to)_

"What have I ever done to you?"

 _(nothing–Anna–you've–done–nothing–wrong–it's–me–I'm–the–problem–here)_

"Stop, Anna."

 _(please–before–something–terrible–happens–I–don't–want–to–hurt–you)_

"No, why? Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you _so afraid of_?!"

 _(please–please–please–please-please-pleasepleaseplease-)_

"I said that's _enough_!"

Silver-blue-white erupted from her fingertips, spears stabbing out at anyone who came near, forming a barrier and cutting her off from her sister _(damnit–no–not–now–the–night–was–going–so–well–how–did–it–all–turn–out–so–bad–so–quickly)._ She recoiled her hand, almost clutching it against her as voices murmured _witch_ and _sorcery_ at the cursed magic she had. But the look of terror on Anna's face did it – she turned and fled from the ballroom.

Princess – no, _Queen_ Elsa, gasped for air as she ran through the frost-bitten castle in the dead of night, ducking and weaving frantically as she ran away from all she had ever known in a desperate tilt, racing away from the words said and the hurt expression on her little sister's face. Her frantic eyes swept the courtyard left and right, only to be met with the same accusatory stares of fathers and the judging stares of mothers and the fearful stares of children _(conceal–don't–feel–don't–let–them–know–oh–mama–papa–I–miss–you–I–need–you)_. She felt cornered, like a small cat trapped in an ally, and then the slightest slip of her ungloved hand turned the fountain into another horrid ice-sculpture-monster. The villagers backed away, having their first taste of her powers and not liking it at all, and Elsa wanted to scream again. It wasn't _fair,_ damnit! Why was she the _only one_ who had to hide behind closed doors? _(don't–let–them–in–don't–let–them–see)_

An opening between the wary townspeople caught her eye, and without a second thought or a glance back she darted through them and out the palace gates, tearing through the streets much like Anna did earlier that very same day. Her breath came out in short cream-puffs, billowing white and floating away like a cloud on the wind. All around her the world was a blur – whether from her tears or from her speed she didn't know.

Finally the fjord came into view, making her halt in her flight. The voice of her sister calling out to her barely registered in her clouded mind, but it did all the same, and the forefront thought on her mind was to _keep her little sister safe, far away from her._ So she ran across the fjord, more of those horrid dagger-fractals spewing out underneath her feet wherever they touched the water. For better or for worse, her powers were helping her get away now, and she could stand them this one time _(don't–let–them–in–don't–let–them–in–don't–don't–don't)_.

Elsa reached the far shores of the fjord and kept running, not caring what else took place behind her. Trees whizzed past her in a blur of brown and green and white. She didn't really care, all she did was run, dodging trees that got in her way and jumping over fallen logs and rocks and roots. Maybe she crossed another body of water, maybe not. Everything was white, making it impossible to tell the difference. It was only a patch of hidden ice that slowed her down against her will, causing her to slip. The fall knocked the wind out of her tired lungs, and she lay dazed on the ground for a minute. She turned her head and saw a frost covered pine, its trunk covered in swirling curlicues and floral curls.

' _How odd…_ ' Her own frost was nothing like this. And lord knew, she had seen enough of it to know that she had not made this. Her own was always jagged, as sharp cut as a diamond, and looked harsh enough to prick a finger. This frost, however, was gentle, slowly sweeping up the trunk of the tree like ivy. Her hand touched the crystalline water softly and –

Elsa was slammed with such sadness that it made what she had been feeling before seem almost pale in comparison. Yet something triggered another thought from the darker recesses of her mind. It felt…almost familiar. She had felt this grief before. Knew it intimately well. Back when she had lost her parents. Someone was lost. They were gone, and they were never coming back. God, if only she hadn't gone out on the lake that day, if only she was a bit more careful, if only she had been quicker, if only she had died and _stayed dead_! Show, snow everywhere, ice all around, covering her, smothering her, _crushing her consuming her killing her…_

Elsa's eyes flew open and she sat up quick and glanced at her clothes. No snow clung to it, no wetness from where she had been lying down, no stiffness from water that had refrozen in the fibers. It was as if she were in front a hearth back in the castle, everything but her warm.

Damned powers.

Elsa dragged her tired body off the forest floor and finally stopped to look at her surroundings. She was standing on the edge of a lake, trees surrounding her. More of the ivy-frost was everywhere, and it intrigued her more than she would have liked to admit. What had created this? If not her, then who? Or was this just a rare beautiful product of nature's random acts? And how had it stayed so intact while in the middle of the summer? Surely the heat would have melted this long ago. She glanced to the sky, and caught a glimpse of the North Mountain. Well, that might explain it. If she was high enough, the temperature of the mountain would preserve this for a good long while.

A cold gust of wind pulled at her clothes, and Elsa suddenly got the distinct feeling of being watched. Ice blue eyes scanned the surrounding trees for movement, but all she saw was the wind knocking bits of snow off the branches. No one was here, yet she still felt unsettled. The feeling never went away, just receded as she picked up her skirts and walked away from the small lake, up the incline of the North Mountain. She knew no one was there, especially as she passed the tree line and continued up the barren icy slope, and still she looked over her shoulder every once in a while. Whoever or whatever was following her kept their distance, just watching her continue on.

Elsa huffed a bit and resigned herself to letting the person continue to follow. So long as they stayed back, she couldn't hurt them. It would be a blessing if they remained hidden for however long they planned to follow her. She wanted to be alone right now, and she could pretend that to be the truth so long as they stayed hidden. Still, a small part of her wondered who would want to follow her out of Arendelle so far north. She wanted to know who this person was.

* * *

Patience, dear readers, patience. All will come together in time.

To be honest, these chapters fall short of my normal 2,500 word minimum by quite a bit. But, considering how the first few chapters were short, I figured what the hell, for consistency's sake keep all the chapters the same length. If you look at any of my other stories, especially the multi-chapter ones, you'll see that I can average anywhere between 2,000 to 5,000 words a chapter, but within each story there's about the same number of words a chapter. Figured that I would keep the trend going with this story too.

And that will be all for now, dear readers. Favorite, follow, review, and as always, stay safe!


	5. Jack III

**Update:**

So here we are, back in Jack's POV! I'm fairly certain you all know what _Frozen_ scene this is, so I won't bore you by rehashing it frame by frame. No need. This is already much longer than I intended to make it (remember, I keep all the chapters around the same length) so I'm probably going to end up leaving the next chapter in Jack's POV again.

Anyway, that's all. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: እኔ አሳዳጊዎች ውስጥ የታሰሩ ወይም መነሳት ባለቤት አይደሉም (Phonetic pronunciation: inē āsadagīwochi wisit'i yetaseru weyimi menesati balebēti āyidelumi) (Amharic)

* * *

 _Staring at the bottom of your glass_

 _Hoping one day you'll make a dream last_

 _But dreams come slow, and they go so fast_

Jack didn't know what to make of the woman that found his lake. He had tracked her footsteps much farther than he thought she could have run (she was a human, after all, and they did not last very long at high speeds, especially if they didn't push themselves on a daily basis), and finally caught up to her when she slipped on the ice of his lake. Everywhere she had run left a wake of snow that spread out far and wide behind her in shades of silver and white and blue. He was astounded at the reach of her powers. She could pull off a deep freeze that would have taken him a good week to accomplish just by running through the land!

And her beauty was ethereal, at the very least. He took in the fine-spun gold of her hair twisted into an intricate braid and bun and wondered what it would look like down. Would it be long? Soft? Ice blue eyes flashed around the small lake and the surrounding forest, and Jack found himself entranced with the tiny flecks of sea-green and silver-white hidden in their depths. Delicate hands with beautifully thin fingers clutched a rich purple cloak closer around petite shoulders. He wondered what it would feel like to hold such a slight frame in his arms. Although he himself was thin, she had an element of fragility that he and his wild side lacked. He was sure she would not weigh much at all.

Jack floated past her, ruffling the powdered snow in the evergreens the slightest bit as he drifted by. He watched as the woman absent-mindedly walked up to a frozen-over fir tree coated in his own frost. She moved as though within some trance, eyes focused and yet unfocused at the same time. Slowly, her ungloved hand came up and brushed against the trunk of the tree –

And Jack was assaulted with a tumult of emotion with no source and no outlet. It was nothing short of _suffocating_ , a dense pressure folding in on all sides, leaving him no escape, trapping him alone with some unbearable pain of being left alone and having everything turn upside down in an instant. That one night, everything changed for the absolute worst. Why did they have to go, why did they have to leave? How much more could the gods take away from him? He had nothing left to give! Everything was just one enormous horrid mess, and he felt like shutting his eyes tight and just willing it all away, for it all to just disappear, to leave, to just _go away damnit all!_ Oh why did they have to go, he needed them, he couldn't do this all by himself, they couldn't know, no, they couldn't, conceal, don't feel, put on a show, don't let them know, _don't let them know, don'tletthemknowdon'tletthemknowdon't-_

Jack gasped for air, eyes snapping open as wide as saucers. The sun had just set behind the North Mountain, staining the world pink and orange and red. The woman was on the floor once more, unconscious. Cautiously, Jack approached her, circling and keeping his distance on the off chance she awoke with as suddenly as he did. The faint light of the Moon filtered through the empty branches and the firs and pines, making her porcelain skin glow the slightest bit in the dark. Closed eyes and long lashes hid those spectacular blue orbs, and soft pink lips were parted slightly to let the crisp air flow.

"You're special too, huh."

The words were out of his mouth before he even realized they were in his head. But some part of him recognized this woman in a way that confused him. No, he had never seen her before this night, never had the (extreme) pleasure of making her acquaintance, but still he felt like they were on the same page, or were the closest of friends. Something in him called out to something in her. He suddenly longed for her to open her eyes, if only to verify that she felt some weird connection as well, and that he wasn't losing his already gone mind from that … episode, he supposed he would call it.

Jack sat next to her, eyes rapt on her peaceful face. Of all the things he had seen in his long existence, he had never before seen someone like her. Someone who had similar powers as he did. Someone who knew him inside and out. His hand gently reached out and almost touched her ungloved hand, and would have, if not for her waking up just then. Like him, her eyes flew open and she bolted upright, glancing around franticly for a few moments, eyes darting around and seeing everything and nothing all at once. The first thing that she truly registered was the state of her clothing – untouched by the snow.

Jack watched with amusement as the woman gaped at the small wonder while he withdrew his arm. "Yeah, that's not going to be a problem so long as you're wearing that."

A scowl spread across the woman's beautiful features, and she heaved herself off the snow with a huff.

Jack frowned as he flew up as well, letting the woman look around and see where she was. The irritation was replaced with fascination once more at his frost, and then overlaid with understanding when she caught sight of the North Mountain.

"It's quite a view, isn't it?" Jack murmured as he breezed past her, letting a small gust of wind ruffle her clothes. He was careful not to touch her, partially out of fear that they would both have another one of those weird episodes again, and out of the fear that he would pass right through her as he had done with so many other people before. He didn't want to know for certain that she could not see him as well. At least for a little while longer he could continue in his blissful ignorance. He observed with a rueful smile as the woman glanced around suspiciously at the forest, and outright laughed as her sharp eyes followed his trail.

Jack let the woman walk away, to just the edge of his vision, before continuing after her. He purposefully kept his distance, yet he didn't really bother to mask his presence completely. She could obviously tell that someone was following her, yet she made no comment nor any attempt to stop him. He fell back even farther once they passed the tree line, but still doggedly persisted in following her.

Eventually the winds picked up again, once more ignoring his attempts to tame them, casting small flurries here and there across the mountain face. He worried but a little for the woman, more out of a habit than anything else really. He had learned how to control his deep freezes so that humans wouldn't freeze to death, and a part of him worried that she was susceptible to that same weakness. Still, the majority of him argued that she was more than capable of taking care of herself in the cold, since she herself was also a being of the cold.

And then she began to sing.

The melody was low and it swelled and receded with the winds. It was barely audible over the winds, and the distance between them didn't help matters any. So Jack took it upon himself to move closer to the woman. The forlorn look on her face was not lost on him, and neither were her words, once he was close enough to hear them clearly.

 _"_ _Don't let them in, don't let them see…"_

Something tickled the back of Jack's consciousness. That phrase rang a bell; he had heard it before. Still, the majority of him was more than content to ignore the little nagging voice and just listen to the soprano of the woman.

 _"_ _Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know … well now they know…"_

And then starlight burst from the woman's newly ungloved hand in a great arc and fluttered to the ground. Jack laughed outright and twisted in the glimmering snowflakes. "Hey, not bad!"

A snowman appeared next, and then a staircase, and Jack followed the woman up the pure crystal stairs, whooping out in exultation. She was learning how wonderful snow could be for the first time, it seemed, and Jack was elated to see such a look of hope and freedom in the woman's eyes.

Taking to the skies, Jack watched a huge snowflake appear on the ground, exactly the same as the one that still hung about his neck, and become a palace worthy of a queen within moments. Spires shot out of the ground, arches curved high overhead, and a diamond chandelier glittered in the heart of the palace. His face was beginning to hurt from how much he was smiling.

"This is beyond amazing! _Why_ haven't you…" The words of praise died on his lips as a piece of gold metal went slicing past his face, just shy of his nose. Sure, it may not have hurt him, but it was still a shock. He turned around and caught sight of the woman.

Stark relief was blatant on her face as she tossed back her hair, braid falling over her shoulder and shining with miniature snowflakes. A few more delicate twists of her wrists, and her viridian dress was replaced with shimmering aqua and light blue. A silver cape with more of her unique snowflakes swept behind her as she strode to the balcony and flung open the doors, letting the morning sunlight in and bounce of the glass walls.

Speechless. Jack was speechless.

* * *

And this now exists.

So if you've seen any of my recent updates, you probably know that I'm moving into my dorm at the end of this week. Hence all of the updates. I'm pretty sure its going to take a bit for me to adjust, so I'm getting as much as I can done now, during my last few days of freedom.

Yikes, college. This should be fun.

Wish me luck everyone, and thank you in advance for all the support so far, and all the support coming in the future!

As always, review, favorite, follow, and stay forever safe!


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